Sixteen-year-old Max Tang to carry Malaysia’s flag at Oceanman open-water swimming World Finals

Sixteen-year-old Malaysian swimmer Max Tang celebrates his double victory in the 2km Sprint and 5km Half Oceanman events at Oceanman Kota Kinabalu in July 2026. — Picture courtesy of Yvents

First Published: Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 1:29 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Sixteen-year-old Malaysian swimmer Max Tang is set to represent the country at the Oceanman World Finals 2026 in the Dominican Republic next month, where he will also serve as Malaysia’s flag bearer.

The Kuala Lumpur teenager will compete in the 2km Sprint and 5km Half Oceanman events in the 15-to-19 age category at the championships, scheduled for November 13 to 15 in Miches.

Max qualified for the world finals after winning both events at Oceanman Kota Kinabalu in July, emerging as the overall champion in each distance ahead of competitors from all age groups, including adults.

He was just 15 at the time, before celebrating his 16th birthday in September.

“It is an incredible honour to represent Malaysia at the Oceanman World Finals, and an even greater privilege to carry our national flag. I am very proud to have this opportunity and will give my very best in both races,” he said in a statement.

Besides open-water swimming, Max also competed at the Malaysian Games (Sukma) 2026 and was named to the longlist for the 400m freestyle event at the 48th Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Swimming Championships 2026.

The teenager is currently a Year 11 student at Garden International School, where he is pursuing 10 International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) qualifications.

He has already obtained two A* grades ahead of his remaining examinations while balancing his studies with competitive swimming.

The upcoming championships will see Max compete against qualified swimmers from around the world as he looks to build on his double victory in Kota Kinabalu.

Oceanman is an international open-water swimming competition series held across multiple countries, with its annual world finals bringing together swimmers competing over various distances.